Advancements in digital printing technology and mechanical embossing continue to enhance the visuals in new product offerings across the industry. Leading luxury vinyl tile (LVT) manufacturers are able to achieve incredible realism in this fast paced growth category that mirrors and expands upon trends seen in both wood and tile.

Beaulieu, which has released two new collections of its LVF this year in both tile and planks formats, noted that concrete, linear looks are in high demand, as well as slates and travertines. “Planks that have mixed looks as well are trending, and because they are offered with the same locking system in the same thickness, they can be installed together,” said John Geier, hard surface product manager at Beaulieu.

Hallmark Floors’ luxury vinyl product manager Keith Lacognata said in the Castle & Cottage Collection the company aims to bring upper end decors and formats to an entry level product. “It comes in 48-inch planks, which is something that our competitors just are not doing with their entry level price points. Consumers are looking for long planks, so we want to offer that across all of our price points,” he said.

Suppliers are seeing tile formats continue to trend larger and planks trend both longer and wider. Mohawk has launched Configurations in large 18 x 18 and 18 x 36 slabs as well as long and wide planks in formats of 6 x 48 and 7¼ x 48. “As we look at the trends in wood and ceramics we are able to react and mirror those visuals. The digital technology now with embossing in register has given us the ability to make our visuals look so much more realistic,” said Alan Smith, director of laminate and resilient at Unilin.

David Reichwein, CEO of FreeFit, said the company’s design capabilities are increased by its patented installation technology. “When you have a locking system, many times you are locked into your design. With FreeFit, your design capabilities are a lot greater, which is great residentially and commercially,” Reichwein said. “We can customize formats anywhere from 36 x 36 tiles, which is very unique, to small hexagon-like tiles. Many people in the industry are more conservative, and they trend towards mixed lengths and widths.”

Yon Hinkle, product manager of residential tile at Armstrong, explained that the company’s Alterna LVT line extensions increased the collection to 120 SKUs. “We have launched many new shapes and sizes, allowing us to do a lot more with designs,” said Hinkle. “We’re experiencing success with concrete looks, and mixed stone and wood looks continue to be received very well.”

Gary Keeble, marketing manager at US Floors, agreed, noting, “Mixed wood looks with concrete are very popular right now and we have reflected that trend in our COREtec Plus offering. We’ve also made our planks bigger and longer.”

Mannington has extended its LVT lines this year with some more traditional wood looks as well as refined oak and restoration visuals. According to Terry Marchetta, director of residential styling at Mannington, there is a visual trend toward clustering and combining of wood and marble. “We are offering more variations in width and are able to scan visuals of natural products and emboss directly on them for unmatched realism,” she said. “And mixed wood and stone visuals act as a perfect transition between two rooms with different visuals of flooring.”
Lacognata added that with Sierra Madre, Hallmark has taken two of its most popular wood offerings, scanned natural products and added those visuals to its LVT line. Light wire brushing and scraping are trending because they bring a higher sense of realism, he noted.

Pat Buckley at Congoleum said the company’s Duraceramic line, features three new visuals in four colorways. “The visuals in Duraceramic draw on mixed visuals that are popular right now,” he said. “One look in this collection that people have gravitated towards those with the crackle trend.”

USFloors displays COREtec Plus line extensions.

Congoleum’s DuraCeramic
display at Surfaces

Hallmark shows the similarity
between its hardwood line and Sierra Madre.